Sure there is the one-coin shop, 100 yen and a world of fun, cheap goods at your disposal. How about the one coin bar? It requires a different coin, but with any drink at just 500 yen all night, you know that it must be a good place for the partaking of alcohol.
The Harajuku Bar offers a nice classy atmosphere with all the drinks you expect together with an energetic and entertaining barkeep, all at an affordable price. The inside is a warmly lit modern interior with a treated wooden bar. Built as a dedicated drinking hole just past Takeshita Dori, it provides a cool, chilled out getaway right beside the mecca of fashion. Even the toilets give off an air of sophistication with the constant minimalist aesthetic design.
The atmosphere of the place is often key when going out to enjoy a night with friends, but this bar has more than just a nice classy locale at an affordable price. The best thing about this bar is the way it presents itself. Take the menu for example. It simply reads thus:
Beer – ¥ 500
Wine – ¥ 600
Food – ¥ 500
There are of course a number of excellent appetizers to choose from, but you can make a number of requests and the staff there are usually happy to oblige. With a menu that simple, there is plenty of room for customization. As a bonus, mention GaijinPot between August the 16th and August 23rd when you are ordering there and you will receive any two drinks (beer or wine) for free.
One more thing to mention. Because of the tightness in space, folks are friendly and happy to engage in conversation. And in addition, there appears to be an unspoken rule; men do offer their seats to the ladies. Yep, the Harajuku Bar is one place in Tokyo where chivalry is not dead – a refreshing reminder that men can and will be gentlemen despite the social pressures of living in a bustling metropolis where the standard is fighting for space and moving on quickly. Folks here do not lack friendliness or manners.
Truly this bar is a place for everyone with a night to kill in Tokyo or in need of a handy local in the area. Head there on the night of August 19th and you will also have a great view of the Jingu-mae fireworks to boot.
To get there, exit Harajuku station at Takeshita Dori and walk to the end, take a left and follow the road up a short distance – the bar is just after a blue overpass, behind the Diesel store. As an alternative, get out at Jingu-mae Exit 5 and take a left at the crossing (walking past Laforet Harajuku). The bar itself is small but easily recognizable; it’s the only place in the area open at night and has an Italian flag as its open sign.
It is open from 6pm until 5am. The special offer is available to all GaijinPot readers between the 16th and 23rd of August.
